The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC is one of my favorite museums I’ve been to, so having the opportunity to read the history of the Met was neat. I thought it was interesting to learn how the Met acquired some pieces of art, like the different statues and paintings. Learning the more notable figures who made the Met what it was was fascinating as well - there were a handful of people who did questionable things in order to get what they wanted. It was also nice to learn how the Met Gala started - I usually check out the new fashion exhibition after the Gala if I’m around New York that time, and it is always fun to see the different outfits people are wearing during the Gala. Overall, this book might be a great gift to the museum lover in your life, if you aren’t one yourself.

A thorough history of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jonathan Conlin's "The Met" is impeccably researched and interesting. It spans the decades of the museum's creation, existence, and musings on its future. It is quite information dense, so is best used as a research reference or read in increments to best absorb the culture and information.

A beautiful retrospective of the Met. This book is best read in short spurts when you have a moment, rather than cover to cover in a sitting. I have fond memories of taking an art history course and learning about how art influences and reflects history, and reading this brought back many of those memories and feelings I associate with art.

Disappointing. While the history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is quite interesting, it was not presented in a manner that held my attention. At times, it was dull and dry; at times, it was gossipy and judgy. And what really aggravated me was that most, if not all, images were in black and white!!! What good is that in a book about one of the most well-known museums on the East Coast, if not throughout the entire United States?! I got fed up and stopped reading, and just skimmed the second half of the book.
One truly has to be a diehard fan of the Met to read this and enjoy it. Otherwise, bypass this.

Thanks to NetGalley & Columbia University Press for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having grown up outside the city and thus have had the ability to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art some frequently, I don’t know whether to consider myself a bit of a biased reader, or as prime a member of the potential target audience for “The Met” as one could possibly be. Either way, I really enjoyed this! It was wonderful to get to know the institution that I’ve loved and been fascinated by since I was a small child on such a deeply extensive and in-depth level.

Sadly, I've never been to the Met but it's on my list of museums to visit. I really enjoyed reading it's history and how it became the Met we all know now

This was such a fascinating and rich read! The Met museum has always been one of my favorite places to lose myself in and now I don’t know how I will go back without spending days revisiting what I read about in Jonathan Conlan’s very well written, “The Met”. I highly encourage seasoned museum goers and newcomers to read this prior to or during your trip!

This is a detailed history of The Met, and as a book about the history of the museum, it is certainly well-researched and informative. 5/5 for that.
I found some chapters more engaging than the others, as a reader, hence the 4 stars. Though, for anyone who wishes to learn everything about the past of The Met, this is a highly valuable and well-written book.
What stood out for me was the chapter about The Modernists, the discussion of the inequalities and whom the museum has to rely on. I enjoyed the writer's unique research and analyses more than the purely historical facts about The Met.

After just coming back from my trip to New York and absolutely loving the Met I couldn´t not read this beautiful book.
It´s so interesting to me as an architect, art lover, and tourist to read more about the history of this museum.
After having spent there two full days, rushing around and trying to see everything, and after having read this book, it´s fair to say that the museum is just an understatement.
The Met is a city, an emblem of culture and art, somewhere you can immerse yourself, where you can watch the past but also glimpse the future. It´s an experience.